Only one team with title hopes is unbeaten and that team is Florida State, which won its 26th straight game (30-26) at Miami University. The Noles (FSU) were three point favorites.
Alabama University, seeking its fourth title during the O(BAMA) administration, won (25-20) as a ten point home favorite vs top ranked Mississippi State.
Both TCU and Ohio State won, but did not cover the spread. Each team is very much in the playoff race, as is Oregon which was idle.
One team not in the race, but unbeaten, is Marshall University. The past weekend marked the 44 year anniversary of a plane crash that wiped out the 1970 Marshall football team.
On the sad anniversary, Marshall raised its record to (10-0). Only one other team (Florida State) is still unbeaten and while they will not get to be in the 4 team playoff, Marshall, likely will play in a major bowl game.
Alvin Dark passed away this week at the age of 92. He certainly is a part of some major baseball history.
He participated in five World Series, winning two times. In 1954 Dark was the shortstop for the New York Giants when they won the championship. A remarkable twenty years later in 1974, this time as the manager of the Oakland A’s, he led them to a World Series victory.
Three other times Dark’s teams won the National League Pennant, but lost in the World Series. Those teams were the 1948 Boston Braves and 1951 New York Giants as a player. He managed the 1962 New York Giants.
A truly fond memory for Giants’ fans is Alvin Dark’s single, that started the rally that culminated with Bobby Thomson’s home run to win the 1951 National League Pennant.
Mike Francesa is a Sports Talk Radio host on WFAN, here in New York. He also does a Sports TV Show on the new FOX Sports Channel. He apparently is (24-15) on his NFL predictions against the point spread.
Having heard this and his “Top Three” picks for this week, even though his do not sound too bad, I will say go against his picks. Those will be my predictions.
Francesa is all about the chalk/favorite and he is giving points with the Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints.
Thus my picks are: the Houston Texans plus a field goal at Cleveland; a shaky nod to the Philadelphia Eagles plus 5 at the Packers in the game in which as always we must endure Joe Buck; and the Cincinnati Bengals at the New Orleans Saints.
Last week my only winner in three tries was the SF 49ers at New Orleans. That week, Francesa said the Saints NEVER lose at home. Never, was not very long as they lost their next game.
The sports media and in particular, “Sports Illustrated,” have routinely over rated LA Dodgers’ pitcher Clayton Kershaw. They are sorely lacking in perspective.
Sports Illustrated runs a “comments” section, but they do not print any that criticize their exalted treatment of Kershaw. Not one person disagrees with their gushing for Kershaw?
I am not one prone to criticizing athletes, as I cringe at the unfair criticism directed toward those who committed physical bad plays, even mental bad plays, at so called critical junctures of athletic contests.
Yet Kershaw, and especially his supporters, who dare compare him with previous pitching greats who pitched full games and excelled rather than failed in big games, can use some perspective.
Right now Kershaw is among the worst offenders of “regular season greatness” to post season failures in history.
We live in a world that has far bigger problems. One of the bigger problems is a media that is out of whack.
That carries over to the so called “toy department” of sports, the unfair, overwhelmingly positive perspective regarding Kershaw the latest example.
Another big weekend is ahead in College Football.
The last two major unbeaten teams, Mississippi State and Florida State, face big tests on the road.
Alabama, playing at home, is now an eight point favorite vs Mississippi State.
Meanwhile, defending champion and still unbeaten Florida State is now a three point favorite in its game at the University of Miami.
The battle between Miami and Florida State brings back memories of the two teams meeting in games with championship implications.
Florida State has never won at Miami en route to a national title. Their title years, 1993, 1999 and 2013 were all seasons in which Florida State hosted Miami.
The three best records in the NFC belong to teams that have never won a Super Bowl. Those three teams are the Arizona Cardinals, Detroit Lions and the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Cardinals are (8-1) with the top record in the NFC. They have made but one Super Bowl appearance, losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2008 season Super Bowl.
The Lions are (7-2). The franchise has never been to a Super Bowl.
The Eagles are (7-2). They lost in both their Super Bowl appearances. They lost in Super Bowl games following the 1980 and 2004 seasons.
Many people blame their coach Dick Vermeil for not allowing the Eagles out to enjoy the New Orleans nightlife before the 1980 Super Bowl.
Their opponents, the Oakland Raiders went out and enjoyed the city before the game and during the contest. Oakland won the game easily.
The New England Patriots defeated the Eagles in the 2004 season Super Bowl.
Do not look now, but the Cleveland Browns–their last title was 50 years ago in 1964–are in first place in the AFC North.
The (6-3) Browns’ lead is scant over the (5-3-1) Cincinnati Bengals, whom they defeated last Thursday. All four teams in the division are within a half game. Both the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens have (6-4) records.
Elsewhere the idle Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots, who clash next Sunday night (maybe it will be a good game, unlike the incredible rash of “blowouts” thus far on the NBC package) each have at least a one and a fraction game lead in their divisions, the AFC South and East respectively.
Both the (7-2) Denver Broncos and the (6-3) Kansas City Chiefs won this past week. Denver ripped Oakland in a rematch of the 1977 AFC Title game also won by the Broncos. The Chiefs went to Buffalo and won as they did in the 1966 AFL title game to gain entry into the first Super Bowl.
Few things in sports move me in a positive way at this point in time and my life. One exception is the fact the Montreal Canadiens retired the number of their great defenseman, Guy Lapointe, last Saturday night.
One can argue which was the greatest hockey team–and I opt for the Canadiens from 1956-1960, as they won five straight Stanley Cup titles.
Not far behind are the (1976-1979) Canadiens, who won four straight Stanley Cup crowns. What really is not open for debate, is that the three great defenseman on those (’76-’79) teams, Guy Lapointe, Larry Robinson and Serge Savard were the greatest such trio in history.
Now Lapointe has joined Robinson and Savard as a Canadiens’ player whose number is retired. I sure wish I was there to see it.
One personal note, I rode a bus overnight to Montreal in March 1996 (my butt is just now recovering) because I “had” to see a game at The Montreal Forum, before it closed.
Arriving early in the morning before checking into a hotel I went to a coffee shop. Incredibly, Guy Lapointe walked in and we chatted.
The conversation turned to his big goal vs the Flyers in game one of the 1976 finals and of course about the defensive trio. However, as “cool” as that was, seeing Guy exude charm and kindness for those assembled in the coffee shop is the highlight I will not forget. Congrats Guy!
Once again, in the Southeastern Conference West none of the top four teams covered the spread.
While Alabama, a touchdown favorite, won by that margin in overtime at LSU, (never easy to win there especially on a Saturday night), Texas AM, more than a three touchdown underdog, won at Auburn, handing the Tigers a second loss.
Meanwhile both Mississippi teams won, still unbeaten Miss State vs Tennessee-Martin and Ole Miss vs Presbyterian. Neither team covered the point spread, and yes there are spreads on games against lower, other division level opponents.
Next week, Mississippi State visits Alabama, which certainly is an attractive game for CBS in its 3:30 pm time slot.
Away from the SEC West, such teams as Texas Christian University, Arizona State and Ohio State scored victories that put them in the wild race for entrance into the first college football playoff.
As cited above there were big victories for TCU (vs Kansas State), Arizona State (vs Notre Dame) and Ohio State (as an underdog at Michigan State) which puts them in the playoffs race.
Two other top teams, defending champion Florida State which “no covered” Virginia and Oregon, which ripped Utah, are certainly in the race.
Undefeated Florida State will be in the playoff if it goes unbeaten and perhaps, but not likely, with one loss. Oregon, I believe, would also get in if they win their remaining games.
It is a wild race. Stay tuned.
As the song says “two out of three ain’t bad” so after that record last week, my NFL week 10 predictions follow.
I predict the disappointing San Francisco 49ers will play very well and maybe even win outright at New Orleans against the Saints. New Orleans is nearly a 6 point favorite.
The Buffalo Bills will do their part to “set up” the next Jim Nantz, I mean NFL network tilt. I predict the 1 point underdog Bills to win at home vs the Kansas City Chiefs. The next Thursday night game (Nantz presiding on NFL Network), sends the Bills to Miami vs the Dolphins.
Last week I was correct in predicting a “no cover” victory for the Seattle Seahawks. I was wrong in taking the New York Giants, as the Indianapolis Colts routed them.
I guess I do not learn but will take the Giants plus 8 points at Seattle vs the Seahawks.
My predictions are the 49ers, Bills, and Giants: three of the four teams involved in the 1990 Conference title games. The other one, the Oakland Raiders are still without a victory.
Andy B Sports 